Rooney can improve, says Neville

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes Wayne Rooney can still improve his game.

Rooney has been a star in the Premier League for a decade and captained England for the first time in last week’s World Cup qualifying rout of San Marino.

But Neville insists that there is still more to come from the United striker, suggesting that there are some areas which he needs to work on.

“At the age of 26 you always have to think that there’s more to come,” the England coach told BBC Radio 5 live.

“We need to see Wayne Rooney improve and he needs to see himself improve.

“He’s a wonderful player, one that is at his best when he’s like the street kid; fighting for every ball, taking every free kick, every throw-in, tackling and heading, fighting to win.”

Neville also feels that Rooney can learn a lot from Old Trafford team-mates such as veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

“Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have adapted their games,” he said.

“Ryan Giggs has gone from a flying left winger to someone who now plays off the front at inside left as well as central midfield.

“Paul Scholes was a goalscoring number 10 player when he first started as a 16-year-old, now he’s a holding midfield player who controls the game.

“You have to adapt. Rooney is still a centre forward, but he’ll adapt over the next 10 years to become someone who’s thought of in that same way as those two players.”